Contemplative Science and Buddhist Science
The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Practice May 19, 2022 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190632922.013.32 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | Argues that critiques of 'Buddhist science' are in at least one context inaccurate and exaggerated, and that the thematization of experience in both contemplative science and Buddhist science poses significant challenges for research on contemplative practices. |
Abstract
Abstract The scientific study of Buddhist and Buddhism-derived practices such as mindfulness meditation has accelerated dramatically since the start of the twenty-first century, and this dramatic increase in research emerges from a vibrant community of inquiry that often adopts the moniker of “contemplative science.” This chapter begins with a brief history of contemplative science, focusing on the pivotal role of the Mind and Life Institute, and then examines a related and even more contentious term: “Buddhist science.” Rooted in the notion that Buddhism is exceptional in its compatibility with science, Buddhist science has been the target of critiques that, in at least one context, turn out to be inaccurate and exaggerated. The chapter concludes by examining how the thematization of experience, which emerges from common assumptions in both contemplative science and Buddhist science, leads to significant challenges in conducting research on contemplative practices.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- When mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms, historical perspectives. American Psychologist 2015
- Meditation, Buddhism, and Science Oxford Scholarship Online October 19, 2017
- Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice Trends in Cognitive Sciences July 28, 2015